Typically, in the finishing of bedding components such as mattresses, the bedding materials will be placed on a buildup table, which will support the bedding at a desired height, depending on the thickness or size of the bedding, for finishing sets, including the application of a tape edge along the borders of the upper and lower borders of the bedding. The application of the tape edge typically will be accomplished by a tape edge applicator or sewing head that generally is mounted adjacent the buildup table and is moved around the border or periphery of the bedding for applying the tape edge thereto. A problem that exists, however, is that at the corners of the bedding, especially where there is an offset, such as with pillow top mattresses, the sewing machine typically must be moved away from the bedding and turned so as to sew around each corner of the bedding. Such an operation generally requires considerable manual manipulation of the sewing head by an operator and results in a slow down in the process of applying the tape edge as the operator must slow production to move the tape edge machine and/or to move/adjust the bedding to continue to sew around the corners of the bedding.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a system and method for applying a tape edge to bedding components such as mattresses and foundation sets, which addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.